OR

Sunday, May 17, 4:00 - 5:30 p.m., Home of Howard Wishnie, Newton

Please RSVP, indicating your choice of date, to Cindy (at) RoweResources.com or 617-277-6282

Under the banner of CONNECT @ TI - Community, Outreach and Networking: Navigating the Economic Crisis Together at Temple Israel, we are writing to invite you to a small group discussion, or house meeting, about the economic crisis. 

As you may know, there are three central aspects of our work:

• Working Groups are developing resources and organizing workshops that can be helpful to those who are experiencing specific problems as a result of the economic downturn, such as loss of jobs, loss of income, anxiety, uncertainty about how to pay for college, retirement, etc.
• House Meetings will provide an opportunity for TI members to gather in small groups to share their stories and build relationships within our community. This is a chance, as well, to think creatively about potential political actions that we, as members of Greater Boston Interfaith Organization, may pursue on a local, statewide, or national level as part of an organized effort to mitigate the most serious consequences of the economic recession and to address some of the root causes.
• Neighborhood Connections is a telephone outreach effort designed to help us learn how the economic downturn is affecting all members of the Temple Israel Community, including TI members and the families of Beacon Academy, so we can continue to develop a culture of caring and an effective response.
  

This email invitation is specifically about the HOUSE MEETING component.   We are holding 25 small group discussions in the coming months throughout the temple community to better understand the particular manner in which the economic crisis is impacting our congregation and to imagine together possible systemic responses. Through these discussions we plan on determining a course of action, working with our partners across Greater Boston, that can make a significant impact on families throughout Boston .
 
We are writing to invite you into this effort because we think that it is critical to have the voices and stories of Religious School families as part of these discussions. There are two gatherings set up especially for Religious School Parents, one on Sunday, May 3, and the other on Sunday, May 17.

  
We hope you can attend one of these meetings, and share your stories and thoughts about the economic crisis and how it is impacting you, your family, your neighborhoods and community. We know that when people join together and share from the heart, powerful ideas and creative solutions inevitably emerge.  We will use our creativity, imagination, and insight to think about how we can effect meaningful change. 
 
Please RSVP to Cindy Rowe at Cindy@RoweResources.com or 617-277-6282 so that we know which meeting you can attend (and we'll send you full addresses and directions for the meeting).
 
With our regards,
Deb Anker, Steven Goldman, Jill Janows, Cindy Rowe, and Howard Wishnie